2 Broke Girls and the Ponzi Daddy
by LoveLorned
Summary: Caroline and Max attend the hearing for Martin Channing's trial. How will the verdict from the trial affect the relationship between Caroline and Max? Will it bring the girls closer together or break them apart?
1. Chapter 1

The girl, whose image was reflected back from the mirror, was not her usual self. Even Caroline could see right through her. What remained was the string of large white pearls clasping her neck – the only sign of status and prestige that she could hold onto. Even that was not enough anymore and she heard the girl from the other side of the mirror loud and clear. _What a phony! You're nothing without your money._ Before the negative thoughts could loom over her mind, a familiar hand grabbed her on the shoulder.

"We should get going," Max said. Caroline eased her shoulders. Max noticed the sullen color on Caroline's face. "Is something bothering you?"

"Maybe we shouldn't attend the hearing…"

"You're having doubts now when we're already here!" Max rolled her eyes and sighed. "Do you know how many kissing lessons we have to teach Han just so we could get the day off?"

"Well, it's just that…what will my presence here do anyway? How will it help? If he's guilty, he's guilty. I sure am not going to be able to change that."

"Snap out of it!" Max shook Caroline. "You're not getting married yet."

"You're right. I shouldn't panic." Caroline drew a deep breath. "It's not like I can make it any worse than it already is."

"Hurrah for positive thinking!" Max said. "Besides, remember how you felt two days ago?"

Caroline stared back at her blankly, her mind still out of it.

"You so wanted to come here." Max reminded and then she mimicked Caroline's voice: "I would shag Han if he'll let us attend my dad's hearing." Then, her voice returned to her usual sarcastic tone. "Turns out he'll settle for some love lessons."

The short skit made Caroline chuckle. "Good point," she exclaimed. Max always knew what to say to make her feel better. _I don't know what I'd do without you._

Max combed through Caroline's golden blonde hair and patted her blouse to get rid of the wrinkles. "Chin up, head up high, smile." She gazed deeply into Caroline's eyes to reassure her. "Now repeat after me – I'm strong. I'm confident. I will survive. Max is awesome!"

Caroline raised her eyebrow and had a quizzical look on her face.

Max put her hands up. "I just asked myself – what would Oprah do? Oh, except for the last part. I made that up." She grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, let's scoot. The hearing will start in 5 minutes."

Caroline glanced at her reflection again and repeated in her mind. _I'm strong. I'm confident. I will survive. Max is awesome! _A smile crept up her face as she proclaimed the last statement in her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Martin Channing sat on the defendant's chair, his back straight and his white hair gelled down neatly. The trial was in session. The roomful of civilians and journalists eagerly anticipated action and drama to brew, but the courtroom was a huge boring disappointment so far. Nothing but the standard line of questioning from both parties. A wry smile persisted on Martin's face through the length of the trial, broadcasting that he's not there to win the sympathy of the judge nor the jury. Caroline's palms were sweating and she rubbed her hands against each other in an attempt to calm herself; she couldn't believe how her dad managed his composure.

The round of questions flew by, each extending a blow with the ultimate goal of knocking out the defendant.

"Were you aware that you were deceiving your investors?", the prosecutor asked.

"I never deceived my investors so I cannot be aware that I am deceiving my investors." Martin's voice was resolute.

"But your accounting books showed discrepancies starting year 1." The prosecutor lifted his eyes from his notes and directed his attention to Martin. "Are you telling me and everyone in this court that you never suspected anything?"

"No. I don't have a degree in accounting so I would not have been able to tell anyway."

"How did you think you were earning 25% year over year return when the market was crashing and averaging a loss of 10% for the past three years?"

He shrugged while maintaining his cool demeanor. "I trusted my company's investment managers fully. If our portfolio were doing well, I assumed they were doing something right. After all, we hire only exceptional talents and they get compensated extremely well. So if their portfolios outperforms, their bonus skyrockets as a result."

The prosecutor turned to the judge and said, "We'd like to bring out a witness for questioning."

The judge nodded. "You may proceed."

As soon as they brought out the short Italian man with shabby hair and thick round spectacles, Martin squirmed. His face twitched and the smile on his face was flushed away.

"Please introduce yourself and your occupation to the court."

"I am Anton Barolli. I am the accountant for Channing Investments Company."

"As the accountant, what do you do? And please describe it in layman's terms."

"I balance the books. I check if there are any mistakes in the numbers and make sure that the assets, liabilities and equity are all lined up."

"When you were balancing the books, did you notice anything out of ordinary?"

Anton nodded. "Yes, the capital amount was incredibly large for an investment company."

"Did you bring this up to Mr. Channing?"

Again, Anton nodded. "Yes, I certainly did. I told him about my concern." He paused for a moment. "In fact, I have the email stored in my computer."

"What was his reply to your email?"

"He told me to do what I was paid to do. Just follow his orders."

A commotion broke out in the room prompting the judge to slam his gavel. "Order!"

"No further questions, your honor."

"Defendant can now begin questioning the witness."

Martin's lawyer walked up to the witness. "Can you show the court Martin's reply to your email?"

Anton thought about it. "Well, he didn't reply to my email. So I can't show the court anything."

"So in other words, you have no proof!"

"No, I do have proof but it's not something I can show." Anton pulled out a pen from his front pocket. "However, I can let the court hear what Martin said." He glanced at the judge, seeking approval. "May I?"

"Yes, you have my permission to play it."

[Start of recording]

_Here's the $10,000 to make the problem go away._

_But what if we get an audit?_

_We'll worry about it when we get there._

_For now, just do as I say. I'm paying you after all._

[End of recording]

The prosecutor noticed the jury shake their heads. He knew he had won this battle.

The defense continued. "Can you prove that the voice in question belongs to Martin Channing?"

"We brought the recording to three expert audio engineers to compare the voices on this recording to Martin's voice sample as well as my voice. All of them matched the first voice to Martin and the second one to mine. The reports are part of evidence so you can view all the dirty details yourself, if you wish."

The defense conceded, "No further questions, your honor."

The judge slammed his gavel. "Court in recess. We'll convene in thirty minutes when the jury has decided on a unanimous verdict."

Max gave Caroline's hand a gentle squeeze, reaffirming her presence and support. She didn't know what to say to comfort her this time around. She didn't want to tell her everything will be all right, when it may not be.


	3. Chapter 3

The court was back in session. As if it was possible, a larger audience have crept in and filled every nook and cranny of the courtroom. The air felt warm and humid despite the air conditioning blowing at full blast. Photographers and video personnel squeezed their way to the front row in hopes of getting the best view for their money shots. The head of the jury delivered the verdict sheet to the judge. Without wasting time, the judge read the sheet out load.

"The jury finds the defendant, Martin Channing, guilty of ten counts of federal felonies. He is given a sentence of one hundred years in federal prison with no parole." The judge directed his gaze to the defendant. "If you have anything to say, this is your chance to say it."

Martin bowed his head down and spoke gravely. "I am sorry to everyone who has been hurt by my actions. I never intended the fraud to happen. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I am terribly ashamed of what I've done and all the repercussions it has caused."

The crowd jeered loudly, disbelieving any of the words that came out of Martin's mouth.

"Silence!", the judge exclaimed. "The court is now adjourned."

Before the judge could slam the gavel a final time, Caroline rose up from her chair and yelled out, "Your honor! You have to reduce the sentence." Silence befell the courtroom and all eyes focused intently on the slim blonde girl who stood tall in the middle row of chairs. "He's my only family left." Her voice became hoarse and it became evident that the confidence she exuded was a sham. She tried to contain her sob. "He's a nice man deep down and he's always been a terrific dad." She continued voicing out her reason. "One hundred years in prison! My dad did not kill anyone. Don't you think that's too much?" She realized that she had just raised her voice on the judge, so her face turned a bright shade of red. The day had been long and tiring; she couldn't keep her emotions bottled up any longer. She paused and surveyed the eyes around the courtroom for sympathy. "Please, would you reconsider?"

"Young lady – this is my courtroom and when the verdict has been decided and delivered, that is the final word." The judge glanced at the wall clock. "I will not tolerate any more of this silliness. For wasting the court's time and speaking out of turn, I shall hold you in contempt of court. You will hereby spend one night in prison." He eyed Caroline seriously. "That ought to teach you how to behave in court."

Caroline gasped in disbelief and then tears welled up in her eyes. It was painful for her to watch her dad being cuffed and escorted out of the once glorious Martin Channing was now a prisoner stripped of his dignity. And now, so was Caroline. She remembered what Max said to her earlier in the washroom. She wiped the tears from her eyes. _I have to be strong for you, dad. At least I get to be with you even just for one night._

As the two policemen in blue uniform approached here, she held her arms out voluntarily. The handcuff on her right hand clanked as it scratched against the silver cupcake charms that dangled from her bracelet. Max reached out to touch and hold on to Caroline's hands before the policemen brought her away. "Don't worry. Your dad will take good care of you in prison. I'll come get you early in the morning." Caroline's hands were cold and her nervousness permeated through to Max. "Remain strong and tough." Caroline nodded but she couldn't bring any words to come out of her lips. Max extended her reach as far as she could to hold on to Caroline's hands as they slipped away further and further.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why did you come to my court hearing? I gave my lawyer explicit instructions to keep you out of all this." He looked down. "I don't want to drag you into my mess. You and your mom has suffered enough."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. You're my only daddy. You know that I'll do anything for you."

"Look where you ended up." Martin shook his head. "This isn't right. I don't like seeing my baby girl get hurt."

"I'm a big girl now. You'd be proud of me. I live on my own…well, with Max." Caroline beamed. "I do my own laundry, cook fried eggs, take out the garbage. I get my hands dirty."

"I really have to meet this Max you always talk about and thank her in person."

"You might see her tomorrow. She's coming to pick me up."

"If only I had stashed some of my fortune in a secret tropical island." He sighed. "How can I repay her now that I have nothing?" The realisation brought a frown to his face. Their mansion in Newport, penthouse suite at the Hamptons, handful of yachts docked at Martha's Vineyard. All were taken and seized by the banks within 24 hours of the news of his fraud, the infamous Ponzi scheme. But they failed to take away the most precious thing in his life - Caroline. Tonight, she was staying close to him and he was not alone. The frown dissipated from his face.

His thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of Caroline's voice.

"Max is not that kind of person. She doesn't do things because of money. She's special. You'll like her." Her mind went back in time to her first encounter with Max. Rude, uncouth, cold, indifferent. She didn't really like Max when Han introduced her. That all changed somehow, for the better. _She just hides her good qualities underneath a tough outer shell_, Caroline thought. "Hmmm…maybe not at first but she'll grow on you."

"Nevertheless, I'm forever indebted to her for taking care of my little princess." He wrapped his arms around Caroline in a hug. "I'm really proud of you."

"You'll be even prouder to hear that Max and I are starting our own cupcake business."

"That is something. You'll finally be able to put your Wharton education to good use."

"We make an amazing team. Max bakes the best cupcakes. She uses a mix of Pillsbury and Duncan Hines." She giggles. "But don't tell anyone, that's our trade secret."

"I'm sure you hold up your end of the bargain."

"Of course!I'm chat up the clients, get the sales and manage the finances of our business." She let out a big laugh. "Hah! Imagine if Max pitched our cupcakes. Or if she touched our books. I don't even want to go there."

"You sure have grown up. I've really missed you."

Caroline looked up and gazed into his eyes. "I missed you too daddy." She sobbed. "I'll always love you. No matter what other people say, I trust in you. I know you're a good man. They're wrong."

Martin stroked her shoulder. "I don't care what they think of me." He wiped the tears off her eyes. "I only care about you. Don't cry. I'm going to be alright as long as you take good care of yourself."

Tick. The clock struck 10 o'clock. The row of lights in the hallway shut off as the superintendent flicked the switch. Total darkness. The end of a long, hard day.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, a prison guard stopped in front of the Channing's cell and unlocked the door. "Caroline Channing is free to go now. Your time here is up."

"Daddy." Caroline put her arms around his daddy and hugged him tightly. She was not ready to let go.

Martin noticed the guard tapping his shoe impatiently. "You better go, sweetie." He kissed her on the forehead. "I love you. Always remember that."

The guard escorted Caroline as they passed through prison cells that were mostly occupied by men three times her dad's size with full-body tattoos. As soon as they reached the waiting area, a loud noise erupted in the room. A sprinkle of confetti floated through the air and Max held a golden sign saying: "Welcome back to the boring world, Caroline!"

_Awww._ Caroline hurried over and gave Max a big hug,

She glanced at her watch. It was only 6 o' clock in the morning. "It's way before your waking time."

"I'm always at your service." Max winked, flirtatiously.

"Why, thank you!"

"Don't get any ideas."

As the guard was locking the door to the waiting area, the fire alarm resonated throughout the walls of the prison. The deafening alarm caused a loud commotion among the jailed prisoners. The lights went off.

"Max?" Caroline cried out. "Where are you?" She extended her hand out to feel and grab whatever she could hold on to. Max was nowhere within reach.

"Caroline? I'm here!" Max yelped.

Caroline tried her best to follow where the voice was coming from. She yelled: "Marco!" She hoped Max would reply back.

"Polo!" The sound became clearer and louder.

_I'm getting near._ Then Caroline felt someone's arm grab her. "Thank god I found you." She held onto the hand tightly. She didn't want to lose her again. Then, she felt a soft linen handkerchief pressed against her mouth harder and harder. Her lungs struggled for air. "Max?!," she cried out. But it was barely a whisper. _What the hell is going on?_ Before she could process her thoughts, her mind started spinning. She struggled to keep her consciousness but she felt more and more dizzy. She finally surrendered. Her eyelids fluttered close and her head fell back.

Max kept her grip on Caroline's hand. "Caroline?" She felt the hand tugging away. _What is she doing?_ She tried to keep up and followed the direction of the tugging. "Ow!" Her right knee hit something hard. She bent down as a reflex. Caroline's hand slipped through her fingers. _Dammit! I lost her. _"Caroline, where are you?" She reached forward, hoping she would bump into Caroline.

"CAROLINE!" Silence. Then a click.

The lights flickered back on. Tables and chairs were flipped and scattered all over the room. Something glistened on the floor and caught Max's attention. She picked it up. _Caroline's cupcake charm bracelet._ The clasp was broken. _I must have pulled too hard. At least I have a piece of her to hold on to for now._ She remembered the day Caroline gave her an identical cupcake charm bracelet. _Our dream. She believed in me…in us. I can't let her down._

Tears of desperation started to well up in her eyes and she brushed them away before they could turn into tear drops. _I need to be strong. For Caroline. For our dream together_.

Max clutched the bracelet over her heart. _God, please don't let anything happen to her. Tell her not to worry. I will get her back, no matter what. But how?_


	6. Chapter 6

"It all happened so fast." _If only I could turn back time… _Max continued. "When the lights turned on, she was gone." She pulled the cupcake charm bracelet from her pocket and presented it to the officer. "I saw this on the ground. It's her bracelet."

The officer eyed the bracelet carefully. Then he pointed to the identical charm bracelet adorning her wrist. "Isn't this the same bracelet you're wearing?"

_I totally forgot about it. _Max blushed. "Yes, officer. I have an identical bracelet. Caroline gave it to me. We're partners."

"Oh. I'm very sorry." He returned the bracelet to Max. "This must be really hard for you."

"Ummm…we're business partners." Max clarified.

"Ok. Relationship: business partners." The officer continued filling out the missing persons report.

RING! RING!

"I'm sorry. I have to take this call, officer."

Max reached into her bag for her cellphone. Private Number calling. Her hand was shaking. _Please let it be Caroline._

"Hi, Max here."

"Max.." It was a mere whimper.

"Caroline!" Max tightened the grip on her phone. "Are you okay?" _Thank God you're still alive. Please tell me you're okay._

Static. Max heard a struggle going on in the background. "HELP ME!" Caroline cried out in desperation. "Pleaaaaase…" The sound of Caroline's voice faded into silence.

More static. When the line went back up, all she could hear was a low and deep digital voice. "If you want Caroline back, prepare $200,000 in hundred dollar bills. Put them in a garbage bag. We will meet at Central Park tomorrow. 12 o' clock noon, sharp. You will receive more instructions tomorrow when you're there. No authorities or else, you know the rest - " The line cut off.

Max directed her attention back to the police officer. "Sorry about that."

"So, that was Caroline?"

"Yes. Everything's fine. It was all a prank." _Breath in. Relax. I can't raise any suspicion. _"I'm sorry I wasted your time, officer." Her voice trembled despite her conscious efforts to suppress her anxiety.

"Are you sure? You sound worried."

"My mind still hasn't recovered from the shock. But I'll be okay." She explained. "Thanks for all your help."

"Ok. Enjoy the rest of your day." The officer crumpled the missing persons report into a ball and dropped it into the trash bin under the table.

As soon as Max exited the police department building, she let out a big sigh of relief. _That was a close call._

Her mind was racing. She glanced at her cellphone for the time. _28 hours left till the ransom deadline. Where can I get $200,000?_ Max buried her head in her hands. _God please tell me this is all a dream. A f**kin' nightmare. Wake me up now._

Then an idea struck her. Max flagged down a yellow taxi cab. She sat in the back seat and handed the driver the address to the penitentiary where Martin was being held.

Martin's face became pale. "Oh my god."

Max held on to his shivering hand. Cold sweat, just like holding a mug of ice cold beer. "Calm down, Mr. Channing. This is not the time to panic." She glanced at her watch. The movement of the hands reminded her of a ticking time bomb, "Do you have any friends or relatives who might be able to help us with the ransom money."

He shook his head. "I have no more friends. All my relatives avoid me now. I tarnished the Channing name." He sobbed, then looked into Max's eyes. "Caroline is all I have left. Promise me you'll bring her back."

She nodded with confidence. "I will get Caroline back."

Then, she felt Martin hold on to her other hand. "Thank you. I really owe you." Before he let her hand go, he continued. "Another thing…I think Caroline may have a crush on you."

_What?! What are you talking about?_ Max furrowed her eyebrows."And why are you telling me this?"

Martin bit his lip and thought for a moment. He shrugged. "I wanted to warn you."

_I can't believe I'm having this conversation with Caroline's dad._ "I'm flattered that you are looking out for me. I can assure you that there's nothing to worry about." She retorted. Then, she added. "But frankly, it's none of your business. Now let me get back to rescuing Caroline."


	7. Chapter 7

_$200,000_. This amount lingered in Max's brain. _Where the heck will I get that much money?_ Only a few people she knew _might _have that money. _Peach, Sophie and maybe Han._ Would they be willing to give up the money for Caroline's sake? That was another question. _ I have no other options._ _I have to at least try for Caroline_.

She approached Peach. Peach laughed at her face and thought she was joking. "$200,000? Do you think I'm insane?"

"I told you. Caroline was kidnapped. It's the ransom that was set." Max's voice was filled with exasperation.

"I'm sorry, Max. I don't think you'll ever be able to pay me back if I lent you the money."

"If something happens to Caroline, I swear to god you will hear from me again." Max said before she left.

Then there was Sophie. Sophie agreed to lend Max the money if she and Caroline joined her maid service business for ten years.

"No, thank you." Max politely declined.

"What about five years?" Sophie asked. "Caroline's my friend too, you know."

_I might have no other choice._ "I'll get back to you, Sophie."

Last was Han. She approached him when they were closing the diner at night. As she arranged the chairs back to their place, she asked Han casually. "Han, can I borrow $200,000 from you?"

"Are you smoking weed?"

_Not the time to be cracking jokes, Han_. "Caroline was kidnapped."

"For realz?" Han eyed her carefully. "Okay, okay. I believe you. We should tell the cops."

Max shook her head. "We can't or they won't return Caroline." Her voice was now hoarse and dry. "If I don't bring the money tomorrow, I don't know what they'll do to her." She grabbed Han's hand and squeezed him tightly. "Han, please…you're my last hope. How would you feel if something bad happened to Caroline because we didn't pay the ransom?"

Han wrinkled his nose and replied: "I'd love to help but I don't have enough money."

"What? But you've operated this diner for more than five years now."

"I'm only operating it because it's my American dream of mine to own a diner where everyone knows your name. This diner is barely breaking even."

"But you're Korean, so you should have money saved up somewhere."

"That's racist but I'll let that slip for Caroline." He thought for a minute. "I can lend you money from my line of credit. I still have $50,000 available funds. But that's all I have left."

Max hugged her. "Thanks Han. That means a lot to me and Caroline. I still need to come up with the remaining $150,000." She sighed out loud. "If only I had a rich circle of friends…"

"What about that artist friend of yours? John?" Han asked innocently. "I see his name and face all over the tabloids so he must be a celebrity now."

Max's face lit up. "Johnny! Han, you're a genius!" Then she remembered the last time she saw him. _He's my only choice. I have no one else to go to. You have to swallow your pride, Max._


	8. Chapter 8

When Max reached her apartment, she quickly looked for Johnny's phone number.

"Sorry, the person you are trying to reach is not available. Please try again later."

_Uggh. Good god, make this even harder for me._ She called his business number. Still no luck.

_Damnit! Why can't anything ever be simple in my life?_ She threw her cellphone in exasperation and the shell casing cracked upon hitting the floor.

_My head is killing me. I'll drop by his studio tomorrow. _She plopped on her bed and within minutes, she fell asleep.

Ring! Ring! Max opened her eye to peek at the alarm clock. _Wtf? It's 9am! I must have snoozed one too many._ She jumped out bed, changed clothes, brushed her teeth and rushed out.

She checked in at the receptionist's desk at the lobby. She was told she had to wait until Johnny's meeting with his client was over. The floor where Johnny's office was located was minimalist. White wall panels everywhere. Each wall had a painting mounted right at the center. The paintings contrasted the humdrum of the office. _This is pretty cool. Very zen-like but still artsy fartsy._

At around 10am, Max was finally directed to Johnny's office. _He still looks awesome as usual. This is going to be so awkward. _

"Johnny…" Max started.

Johnny's face immediately became concerned. Something was off in her tone. Something was seriously wrong. He gazed deeply into her eyes. "What is it? Tell me honestly."

"It's Caroline - " She sobbed before she could finish what she wanted to say.

Johnny stroked her shoulder gently. "What's wrong with Caroline?"

"She got kidnapped. I was taking her home and they kidnapped - " Max bawled uncontrollably.

"How much are they asking for?"

"$200,000 in cash."

"Sure, I can help out." He said coolly.

Max looked at Johnny, her eyes still wet with tears. "Really? You'd do that for Caroline?"

"I'm doing it for YOU. You were always a great friend to me until I…" His voice trailed off. "Well, you know the rest."

"Thank you, Johnny." _He's really changed. Maybe we can be friends again after all. _A sudden relief washed over Max. They can get Caroline back. She wiped away the tears from her eyes. "They need the money by noon today. I have to meet them at Central Park with all the money in a garbage bag."

"Ok, just wait here." Johnny said calmly. "Let me get the cash from my safe."

"You have $200,000 in cash handy, just like that?"

"The client whom I met before you bought three paintings. He paid in cash. We have a don't ask don't tell policy so I don't know where that money came from."

"My lips are sealed. I owe you big time for this." _Thank god my luck is turning around now._

"Will you go out with me then?" He paused and took a deep breath. "I still love you. I always will. I never got over you."

_You told me you loved me before. But you were already sleeping with someone else. How can I trust you this time? _"I have to think about it."

"There's just this chemistry between us." He caressed her hand and then continued. "It will never go away. Don't tell me you don't feel the same way."

_I can't deal with this now._ "Can we talk about this later?" Max asked. "My mind is overwhelmed right now."

He squeezed her hand gently. "I'm sorry, Max. I can't let you slip away again."

She pulled her hand away from his grip. "I have to think it through." _You don't know how much I wanted this before. How much you affected me when you left. I don't know if I will be able to get through it again._

"Then you leave me with no choice." His tone was stern and even menacing. "You can't have the $200,000."

"You're trying to buy my affection?" Max asked incredulously. "You're unbelievable!"

"It's my money." He shrugged. "I can do whatever I like with it."

"I knew it." Max darted her evil eye onto him. "You're still the same sleazy scumbag as before. After pulling a stunt like this, do you think there's still a chance I will fall in love with you?"

"Right now, I just want to buy myself time to prove to you that I've changed. I'm desperate."

"Bullshit. Can you hear all the crap coming out of your mouth?" _I'm not dumb. I'm not that girl anymore._

"Well, that's my final offer. Take it or leave it." He said firmly. "The clock's ticking. I just hope and pray, for Caroline's sake, that you can find a better offer from someone else."

The walls of the room seemed to be closing in on her. _I can't believe this is happening. But, he's right. I have no choice._

"I will take it." She mumbled.

He pointed to his lips. "Before I get the money ready, we'll have to kiss on this arrangement."

_Ugggh. I've just sold my soul to the devil. Can I get any lower than this? _Max closed in and kissed him on the lips. He kissed back and pulled her into his embrace. Max pulled her lips away and pushed him back. "Now, will you give me the money please."


	9. Chapter 9

"Here it is." Max shoved the garbage bag containing $200,000 in cash to the man wearing a black suit.

The kidnappers opened the passenger seat door, removed Caroline's blindfold, pulled her out from the car and pushed her toward Max. "She's all yours." They went in their car and zoomed away.

"Max!" Caroline put her arms around Max. _I knew you'd come through. I had no doubt about it._

Max held on to Caroline. "Thank God you're alright. You're safe now." She whispered.

_I know I'm safe when I'm with you._ Her eyes glistened as she looked into Max's eyes and she swiftly darted them away.

"How did you get the $200,000?", asked Caroline curiously. She knew that they had nowhere near this amount saved up in their dream fund.

Max thought for a second whether she should tell Caroline the truth. She replied briefly. "I have my ways." Then, she asked. "Do you recognise any of the kidnappers? Why would they target you? Everyone knows you or your dad have no money left. Unless they have been living under a rock for the past year and a half…"

"I was blindfolded the entire time so I was not able to see any of their faces. But I did hear one of them say they wanted to get back at Martin Channing." Caroline shrugged. "I guess some people still hold a grudge against my dad for what he did. Some people lost their life savings because of him. You saw how the people in the trial were…it was like my dad was the devil." Martin Channing may be an amazing dad and the best dad that she could ever hope for. But to the rest of the world, he was a fraud, a con man, a hustler. She already learned to accept this fact.

Max understood what she meant. Had she been one of the victims of such fraud, she probably would have harboured a deep hatred and desire for vengeance against the Channings too. She glanced at Caroline. Her eyes were droopy and her shoulders sagged. It was the first time she'd seen her without her usual glow, her radiance, her energy. "You've had too much for the day. I'll flag down a cab to take us home."

—

Caroline lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep at all. Her mind struggled to make sense of what she was feeling. _Should I tell her? Am I sure about this? What if she dismisses it like she's done many times before? Would she still want to be my friend?_

She heard Max coming out of her bedroom, heading towards the kitchen counter. She yawned and noticed that Caroline was already awake as well. "Why are you up so early?"

Caroline sat up on her bed. "I couldn't sleep. I need to talk to you about something."

"I have something to tell you too. But you go first. Yours sound more serious than mine." Max replied, as she prepared the coffeemaker.

"When I was kidnapped, I really thought my life would end." She paused as she wiped away the tears that started to form in her eyes. "The only thing that kept me going was…I knew you would come for me. The thought of seeing you again…"

"Stop it. You're making me cry." Max sniffed. She went over to Caroline and gave her a hug. "Of course, I'd come get you. You'd do the same for me."

"My mind is still overwhelmed with everything that's happened. I'm still confused…all these emotions are running through me right now." She paused and bit her lip softly. "I think I'm falling - "

Before she could finish her sentence, something on the wall caught her eye - a new painting. It reminded Caroline of Johnny's sketches that Max used to keep. "Oh, did you buy one of Johnny's paintings?" She asked, pointing to the work of art. "It accents our wall nicely. I can't believe such a jerk could create something so pristine and beautiful."

"He gave it to me."

"What? Why did you accept it?" Caroline asked incredulously. "He cheated on you, remember?"

She didn't want to take it but she had no choice. He forced it on to her. It was a daily reminder of their pact. "I know that. Maybe I'm hoping that he has changed." Max responded, trying her best to be convincing. Sadly, she couldn't even fool herself into believing her own words.

"Once a cheater, always a cheater. What's gotten into you?"

"You sound like Donald Duck now. Stop quacking on me!" Max said sternly. As if she could forget what happened with Johnny. She was all over him that time and he broke her heart_. _

Caroline put her hands up. She didn't want to argue with the person who just saved her life. "Okay, I will get off your back. I just can't believe you're trusting him so easily."

"Just stop now. Can you just be silent…for like one day? Geez."

_I don't get it. How can she get over it just like that?_ Caroline kept quiet. She didn't dare press her more. _I'll just tell her tomorrow. Maybe she'll have cooled off by then._

The tension in the room was broken by three knocks on the door. Max peeped through the hole and saw Johnny standing tall with a confident smile on his face. She let her in.

"I did overhear snippets of what you girls were talking about." Johnny said casually. "I have to agree with Caroline. I was a jerk, even an asshole. But I'm a changed man." He grabbed on to Max's hands and caressed them. He gazed into her eyes and said. "I don't care if it takes ten, twenty or even thirty years. I'll prove it to you, Max. I love you and I'm really serious this time." He brought her closer into his arms and leaned in to kiss her lips.

There was no point resisting. She owed him and she was obliged to keep her word. She kissed him back gently.

Caroline observed them in disbelief. _How can Max fall for all his crap? I will kill him if he breaks her heart again. _Then, her heart sank as the realisation set in. _I missed my boat again._


End file.
